The geographical boundaries of the Cockpit Country as outlined by the Cockpit Country Stakeholders Group. The area oulined in black represents the proposed site for exploration.

Environmental advocates, the Cockpit Country Stakeholders Group (CCSG), said they would be looking for ways to take the Government to court over a decision it took to grant exploration licences to two bauxite/alumina entities.

CCSG Chairperson, Diana MaCaulay, said yesterday that the group will be acquiring the help of overseas lobby groups, Friends of the Earth International and the Environmental Law Worldwide, to pressure the Government to revoke the licences that were recently granted to bauxite/alumina companies, Alcoa and Clarendon Aluminium Production (CAP).

"We are looking at any legal recourse. We are making links with overseas groups to see what kind of pressure can be added from outside of Jamaica; we are going to contact Alcoa directly. We are not ruling out civil protest," Ms. MaCaulay said during a briefing with the media, yesterday afternoon.

Prospecting licence

The group fumed yesterday morning during a consultation on the National Minerals Policy at the Jamaica Conference Centre after Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Land, Donovan Stanberry, announced that a special exclusive prospecting licence had been granted to the two companies without consulting environmental stakeholders.

But during the emergency press briefing held subsequently by the environmental group yesterday afternoon at Jamaica Environment Trust's (JET) offices, in St. Andrew, Ms. MaCaulay said the group had written several times to the Government to get information on plans for the Cockpit Country, but that there had been no response to date.

"As recently as Wednesday of this week, the executive director of the Jamaica Bauxite Institute, Parris Lyew-Ayee, wrote to us saying he would contact us to set up a meeting," she said. "To learn that the licence has been issued anyway is a clear indication of the disregard in which the Government of Jamaica holds the public."

The environmental stakeholders contend that the granting of the prospecting licences has slowed moves for the area to be declared a world heritage site.

They added that exploration for any minerals in the Cockpit Country should have been done by the Government and not commercial entities. They save a permit to a commercial organisation implied that there was an intent to mine the area.

But government is insisting that no mining will take place in the Cockpit Country and that exploration activities will not pose a threat to the life of flora and fauna in the area.